Festive closure 

Our office will be closed for the festive period from 25 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026. 

We will be open on 29, 30 and 31 December between 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 4pm. During these times, we will be focusing on handling reviews of crisis grants received due to the urgency of these applications. If you wish to request a review of a community care grant application you can do so online. Alternatively, you can call us on 5 January 2026 and we can take your application over the phone.

Our normal service resumes on 5 January 2026 at 10am. 

Case study

  • Date:
    December 2025
  • Category:
    Calculation of award

Example

C applied for assistance with living costs after using their income to replace a mobile phone.
The council awarded £441.30 for a 30-day period.

C requested a first tier review, stating that they needed £820.00 to cover the full duration of their crisis. The council declined, noting the award already exceeded the recommended guidance.

We examined the council’s file and spoke with C. While C disclosed some health issues, we did not consider these justified the requested £20.00 per day plus an additional £200.00 for gas and electricity. We concluded that the council acted reasonably in awarding more than the guideline amount and did not change the decision.

No feedback was identified for the council.

Updated: December 17, 2025